


Afterspark Podcast: G1 Episode 36: Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2

by specspectacle, Twilight-Owls (LadyTorix)



Series: Afterspark Podcast: Transformers G1 [37]
Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Embedded Video, Episode Commentary, Episode Review, Podcast, Podfic, Podfic & Podficced Works, Podfic Length: 20-30 Minutes, Swearing, Video, YouTube, transcript
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25568017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/specspectacle/pseuds/specspectacle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyTorix/pseuds/Twilight-Owls
Summary: Spike and Carly arrive on Cybertron to find the Dinobots.  (Poor Swoop just wants an adult.)
Series: Afterspark Podcast: Transformers G1 [37]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1220114
Kudos: 3





	Afterspark Podcast: G1 Episode 36: Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2

**Author's Note:**

> Hi folks!
> 
> Unsurprisingly, COVID's been messing with our podcast recording schedule, so it may be a bit before we post a 'normal' episode again, but fear not, we should return! And in the meantime we'll be posting some of our Let's Play footage of our War for Cybertron playthrough, if that's your thing. (Those will get transcripts eventually as well, but they a take while since they're significantly longer then our normal fare.)
> 
> As always, if you need an audio only version of the podcast please check out the links at the end of the transcript.

[Stinger]

O: I'm gonna say he's a cleric who has somehow aligned himself with the god of death.

[Intro Music]

O: Hello, and welcome to the Afterspark Podcast, an episode by episode recap of the generation 1 Transformers cartoon. I'm Owls.

S: And I’m Specs.

O: And today we're gonna be talking about episode number 36: Desertion of the Dinobots, part 2. Let's talk about giant robots today, shall we?

S: Sure.

O: Welcome back to the Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2. If you'll remember, last time, in Part 1 the Autobots and Decepticons neglected to take their vitamins to disastrous effect and the Dinobots have run away from home to Cybertron.

S: Carly and Spike have followed behind in Carly's car and last we saw them they were being held at gunpoint by Shockwave.

O: Dual-wielding, no less! It's not enough that Shockwave has a gun for a hand but he's holding another one, too.

S: He's- he's compensating. Shockwave poofs Carly's car out from underneath them which. Yeah.

O: [Laughter] Goodbye pink convertible, we hardly knew ye!

S: Did he send it to another dimension? It just sort of, um, faded away. Cuz it didn't, like, poof, per se.

O: Uh, Shadow Realm? [Laughter] That exists in this universe, right?

S: Maybe? Carly's- [Laughter] Carly's response is great because she's effectively, like, “That was my car, not an Autobot, you dumbass!!”

O: And Spike and Carly flee from Shockwave who's apparently in no hurry, as he just sort of walks slowly after them.

S: He's [not] got better things to do here than pest control, I guess? Because he continues to shoot his disappearing gun at various things they're hiding behind so I guess he doesn't care if any of that stuff vanishes. 

O: I mean, yeah, cuz he's, like, what we assume in his own lab and he just does not seem to care?

S: I don't understand.

O: I don't understand many things about this show.

S: True. Spike seems to think they're safe be- hiding behind things even after Shockwave has, you know, done this- sending things to the shadow realm multiple times.

O: They duck into a narrow opening in the floor which Shockwave can't follow them into.

S: Yeah, he expresses his disappointment in about the same tone as someone who's been chasing down two mice and those two mice have escaped.

O: He is not happy about this human infestation. I'm sure not having to deal with organics on a daily basis is one of the highlights of him being posted in Cybertron.

S: Yeah, honestly, I don't- I feel like he would do very well on earth.

O: I don't think he would, either, and I legitimately think that's why he stays on Cybertron.

S: I don't think he would have really enjoyed it if the planet had actually ended up by Cybertron-

O: No.

S: Or by earth.

O: No. But if the planet had exploded like Megatron had intended, I suppose he wouldn't have needed to care. 

S: That's true. They would have had a lot of resources they could have used potentially.

O: Yeah.

S: I don't know. Spike and Carly look around the room that they found themselves in, which appears to have a glowy pool in some sort of recess in the center of the room.

O: And Carly seems to realize they're in Cybertron's master computer. I don't entirely know how she figures this out but all right.

S: She's a Technomancer, I don't know.

O: [Laughter] Carly is amazing. We already know that, I'm just saying, I don't really know how that thought process happened.

S: Same. Spike uses the silly thumb radio to call Teletraan 1.

O: And to the Ark!! All the Autobots are passed out on the floor.

S: They really look like they've had a super wild night.

O: Sounds like they got all of the hangovers and none of the fun.

S: Yeah, looks accurate. Sparkplug, however, is awake and manning Teletraan 1, which considering he's not a giant robot from outer space makes perfect sense.

O: [Laughter] Teletraan helpfully pulls up a diagram of this Decepticon computer brain Spike and Carly have found themselves in, Decepticon misspelled with a ‘K’, no less. 

S: The little pictures of Spike and Carly look, like, pretty awkward. Spike is super buff for some reason and the fact that Teletraan 1 just has these schematics is kind of... out there.

O: Well then- Carly so, like, demure in this little picture of her and I’m just like- that's not Carly. Have you met Carly? Carly's like I'm gonna go plant a bomb in the Decepticon base because I can.

S: Yeah, that's Carly. 

O: That's Carly. Carly attempts to gain control of the space bridge by going through the computer's wiring.

S: Breaking into the nearby panel in the wall with her car key because she is - she is a can do lady.

O: The pink convertible will have its revenge yet! 

S: Yeah. I imagine it hasn't quite hit her yet that it's gone and now she's going to have to buy a new car.

O: Yeah-

S: It kind of sucks. I wonder if the Autobots will finance it.

O: I wondered too, I mean, she did do it helping so maybe?

S: Yeah. But she's shocked when a big ball of energy travels through the wiring and hits her panel and then she's tossed backwards towards the glowy pool.

O: Epic music plays. 

S: Electrocution: not much fun.

O: [Laughter] 

S: And so the computer decides to throw a wild ass rave party and then explodes, and the glowy pool goes dark. And then Spike pulls a flashlight out of his ass that Wheeljack apparently gave them.

O: This information was important enough to tell the audience, apparently. That and it is brighter than any other flashlight on earth. Apparently. Again, why don’t any of you patent your shit?!

S: Yeah, they could make so much money. But, I mean, this was something just to sell toys.

O: I know, I know- we're attributing far more thought to this then the writers probably ever did.

S: I want- I want there to be plot and background and, you know, good writing and-

O: Ahhh, ahhh, that- that- that's what other shows are for in their franchise. It's okay. 

S: I- I know, I'm glad that the newer ones are getting better writing.

O: Me, too.

S: And, unfortunately, Carly has twisted an ankle sometime a- during this wild rave party and Spike jumps down into the recessed pit to- to help her except unfortunately now neither of them can get out.

O: You know, because Spike definitely thought this through. 

S: Yeah, and it's steep and, I mean, well, he could have pulled out wires, I guess-

O: Maybe-

S: And made a-

O: And could have gotten into the panels.

S: Yeah. Oh, well. Sparkplug calls in and says that there's a way out at the bottom of the area they've fallen into.

O: So right where that glowy liquid was.

S: Yaaay, um, good plan everyone. 

O: I'm sure it's perfectly safe. 

S: I have many concerns.

O: [Snicker] They go down a ladder.

S: Why is there a ladder there?

O: Why is it so small and, comparatively, human sized? Is it meant for Minibots? Do Minibots do all the computer repairs in this world?

S: Well, maybe-

O: We found Rumble and Frenzy’s actual function. [Snicker] I don’t feel like they'd be good at that.

S: Well, I feel like they'd end up pulling out wires to basically have an impromptu wire fight- like a snowball fight.

O: [Laughter] Yeah, that seems right. That seems right. 

S: Oh, and so Spike and Carly make it out to the hallway.

O: Meanwhile, in the space bridge room, Megatron calls and tells Shockwave to send their damn vitamins over.

S: But this is impossible because the space bridge is inoperable until the computer is fixed but, i mean, I guess- how did you call him Shockwave? Or how did Megatron call him?

O: He said the computer’s out, not the phones. This was the 80’s, perhaps they weren't synonymous at the time. I know they are now but, eh?

S: Maybe. I mean, they definitely weren't synonymous in the 90’s but I don't know about giant robots.

O: [Laughter] Yes, giant robots have different lines, or have different lines going for their computers and their phones obviously.

S: And, I mean, how is Megatron getting that camera angle? Did he set up a camera on the ground?

O: Ah, well, you see, it's the birb cam. Laserbeak, obviously, is also on the ground so he's just sort of propped him up to get the angle he wanted.

S: That is entirely conceivable, so yeah.

O: [Laughter] 

S: Megatron threatens to reprogram Shockwave for maintenance if he can't stop the humans. 

O: Not sure how he's gonna manage that if he's dead but  _ okay. _

S: Megatron will come back as a ghost and do it. He will totally do that- I mean, considering what Starscream does later. I feel like he'd go out of his way to do that.

O: I'm 100% ready to believe that Transformers can come back as ghosts later out of sheer spite.

S: Shockwave sends a giant ass robot of questionable sentience after the kids but they manage to shut a door on it and get outside, heading towards Wheeljack's lab. 

O: Carly's ankle is still giving her trouble.

S: They're doing a pretty good job of showing her limping throughout all this- and then Spike picks her up and carries her because-

O: [sings] Macho! Macho man! 

S: [Snicker] Yep, they wanted- wanted to do that. And then Carly spots a shadow nearby but it runs away.

O: It was clearly Swoop, guys. It was cleary Swoop.

S: Well, maybe Carly hasn't had enough interaction with them but Spike really should recognize their silhouettes.

O: Swoop saved their asses in the last episode when Grimlock tried to smash them, remember? 

S: That is true. Then again, she may not have a whole lot of- they're also on another planet and she may think that this is just another robot that may have a similar silhouette.

O: That's- that's fair, I mean, to be fair there's a lot going on right now. 

S: Yeah and when you're in pain you're not concentrating as well as you can- or you could otherwise.

O: Also true.

S: So, at this point, they reach Wheeljack's lab and Carly manages to get them in by using the control pad on the door. She is a super genius cuz alien languages.

O: I mean Chip managed it, she managed it- they're both geniuses.

S: Yep and so they hear something or someone banging on the ceiling from outside and Spike manages to grab a spare gun out of a closet.

O: And, yet again, we have the teenager with a giant robot sized weapon.

S: That is bigger than him.

O: And he shoots it before the commercial break.

S: [Laughter] We return and Spike shoots the mysterious shadow that's come through the ceiling because, of course, the- the ceiling is caving in.

O: And, naturally, the shadow is poor Swoop.

S: All Swoop wants is an adult.

O: Him and the rest of us. Uh, he tells Spike- by Spike, I mean, the audience- that the Dinobots were caught almost immediately after coming through the space bridge.

S: Yeah, Swoop was able to get away because he remembered that he could fucking fly and, unfortunately, the others didn't.

O: No, they did not. Teletraan 1 directs the group to the Cybertonium pits and they head out.

S: But not before a Spike realizes that Carly is no longer limping and she just replies, “I- I think it's better.”

O: That is not how any of this works.

S: They wanted to push that romance angle.

O: Ugh, through the power of love your ankle will heal itself. Through the power of having a man around, your ankle will heal itself! 

S: Well. I suppose it is kind of conceivable that not having her weight on it for a little bit of time might have made it feel a bit better but it shouldn't have helped that much.

O: Yeah, yeah, like if feeling better would be fine but she's walking normally after this, like the entire rest of the episode.

S: Yeah, cuz I remember when I screwed up my ankle earlier this year and it was like, “Ha, ha, ha- No!” That would not work. Once outside, Swoop scoops them up so they don't have to climb up some giant robot sized stairs.

O: Aww, Swoop you're a sweetie!

S: He is, indeed, the sweetest dude.

O: The three get on some sort of mass transit vehicle and head down a tube.

S: It's a surprisingly small mass transit vehicle for being a mass transit vehicle, and they get flipped around and they end up thinking though they're gonna go up.

O: Spike even makes a NASA reference. 

S: They go- vooooooo- down instead.

O: [Laughter]

S: Backwards. It sounds- it would honestly- it would be super unsettling, and Swoop is confused as to why the humans are upset.

O: Spike says it's because, “They've left their stomachs up there!”

S: And Swoop is quite happy to not have a stomach.

O: Understandable. They get stopped when the tube ahead of them is broken.

S: So, Swoop just- well, they get out and Swoop picks a direction and starts walking, and then they come across some inactive robots, and Carly makes the leap that they're the Autobots ancestors.

O: Or they could just be like the Sentinel drone thing Shockwave was using but okay and then after that five-second scene we move on.

S: And then they, apparently, set off some ancient booby traps that involve axes. 

O: Swoop gets clipped in the wing but is otherwise okay...

S: Foreshadowing!

O: [Laughter] 

S: Then they almost get smooshed because walls that start closing in on them but um, Swoop just smashes a hole through the wall and they walk right on out.

O: Then some heat-seeking missiles come after them.

S: Ooooh, Swoop transforms and attempts some fancy flying to get away from the missiles but they all end up crashing to the ground before he suddenly remembers he can transform.

O: Yes, I know he just transformed from robot mode but he didn't remember he could transform back into robot mode. Just- just don't ask. Just don't ask.

S: Like, he had some issues with his wing.

O: Yeah.

S: And then he just shoots the missiles with his own that pop out of his chest. 

O: Never mind that he has some on his arms but I guess that would be too obvious.

S: They didn't want to deal with having to animate them being gone, maybe? 

O: Just have them regenerate or something! Or pop back out after, I don't know.

S: Yeah, so they arrive at some sort of outdoor area before entering a room that has some sort of viewing screen that looks, weirdly, like Shockwave’s head. 

O: Then we get a mini history lesson that, I am utterly convinced, is also narrated by Frank Welker. Did Megatron moonlight as a documentary narrator at some point? 

S: Maybe.

O: Regardless, some of Shockwave’s Sentinel bots arrive and take the kids captive.

S: And they talk. That's a person!

O: Well, I guess that's our precedent for Vehicons in Prime, then.

S: I guess? Yeah. And, so, getting captured was somehow the best way they have for finding the Dinobots because they basically get escorted to them. Except something is clearly wrong as all of the Dinobots appear to be happily working for the Decepticons.

O: Carly manages to fix them by comparing their circuits to Swoops’ and realizing the Decepticons have bypassed their memory circuits.

S: They're also at the Cybertonium pits.

O: Yes, conveniently, of course. Plot contrivance.

S: Yes, yes, yes and due to Carly fixing the circuit issue they all thank her.

O: She's already an honorary Dinobot now. That's my headcanon, thank you, thank you very much!

S: Yep. Spike and Grimlock- So they come up with a sneaky, sneaky plan.

O: Of course!

S: Spike- Spike and Grimlock stage a fight to get the force field/fence dropped.

O: All the Dinobots then transform and melt the Sentinels.

S: They escape and head towards a tube with no car. 

O: When Spike points this out Grimlock says, “Me Grimlock need no car,” and picks Spike and Carly up as all the bots enter the tube.

S: Well, I mean, they can fly so-

O: I- yeah, they seem to just sort of be carried up to through the tube. I don't know if they're actually flying or not, or if the tube’s doing it, to be honest.

S: I don't know, but I wouldn't really trust the tube with a human. On their own.

O: Also true. 

S: Sparkplug and Teletraan have managed to hack into the Decepticon computer and changed the spacebridge’s destination, unbeknownst to Shockwave. I have a number of questions about this and I’m never going to get any answers.

O: I was about to say- Sparkplug, most interesting man in the world, knows how to hack computers! [Laughter] Unless that was completely  _ all _ Teletraan!

S: Eh, could have been. I don't know.

O: And then, apparently, Shockwave this entire time was but a tube ride away from the Dinobots.

S: They took so long to get down there.

O: Obviously, the- the writers wanted us to see the scenic sites of Cybertron.

S: Well, we had to get some sort of exposition in here.

O: Hm-mmm.

S: Oh, the group arrives in Shockwave’s control room and Swoop knocks him over as they all get into the space bridge.

O: Poor Swoop loses part of his wing for the trouble but he does manage to get in with everybody else.

S: Oh, that's a relief. Well, not losing the wing, but him getting in with everyone else.

O: Yeah.

S: So they arrive back on- back at earth with a little trouble.

O: Well, a little additional trouble, anyway.

S: Yeah, afterwards Optimus makes Spike and Carly honorary Autobots and just tells the Dinobots, “Good job.”

O: Where's their medals? Why is he like this?

S: Poor kids. Optimus is not the best dad.

O: No, no. Wheeljack and Ratchet are reasonably good dads, though. They- I hope they gave their Dinobots some hugs after this.

S: Yeah. 

O: So, what's- what's our important takeaway for today, Specs?

S: Take your vitamins and eat your veggies, kids.

O: Otherwise, you, too, may fall from the sky and have to rely on a bunch of Dino babies to save your ass.

S: Maybe.

O: And join us next time for: Blaster Blues! It's one small step for bots, as everybody ends up on the goddamn moon and things get supreme.  _ Omega _ Supreme. 

S: [Laughter] Yes, and we have some fanfic recommendations for today one from me and one from Owls. So my recommendation is: “The Light and the Smile” by KoiLungFish. It's in the G1 cartoon continuity, it's rated T, it's Gen because there aren't any pairings, uh, there's, yeah, no pairings, and it's entirely original characters, so your mileage may vary. In summary, “A group of failed Decepticons is sent to a remedial training base. Unfortunately, something has followed them.” 

S: It's an all OC cast and it's got some really interesting world building and, like, culture exploration for the Decepticons.

O: Which, quite frankly, there needs to be more of and there's like,  _ none _ in a lot of continuities.

S: Yeah, this was actually one that I was planning on having as a fic rec for that episode where Megatron gets everyone's power rectifier chips.

O: Hmm.

S: Because that sort of thing is actually, like, relevant to the plot of this fic.

O: Oh, gotcha. 

S: And so the character/theme rec uh, or for why I chose it is like- remember that room with the bodies from the episode? It made me think of this.

O: Oh, that's, again, just not- that- that- that bodes well. That bodes well. That sounds healthy.

S: And, also, the power rectifier stuff but that's not especially relevant to this episode except that the Decepticon- or yeah, not really relevant. Well, it's also the fact that that Decepticon, sort of, grunt or whatever, that- the fact that was a person, also made me think of this, because that character I don't think anyone's explored. 

O: Yeah.

S: And it's the one shot. [It is not a one shot, it is a complete fic with four chapters, if I remember right. ~Specs] If there aren't any the- KoiLungFish didn't do anything else in- with these characters as far as I'm aware.

O: Gotcha.

S: It's a well-written, entertaining story and I would definitely recommend it. So let's go to Owl's pick.

O: My wildcard pick for today is “Confirmation” by Interstellar_Child. It is in the IDW continuity, it is G, it is slash, it is Minimus Ambus/Megatron, and they are our two characters for this. And, in summary, “The phrase, “Can you confirm it,” used over the different points of their relationship.” It's a one-shot, it's short, it's sweet. I just sort of picked it for my random ones because I like MiniMegs.

S: Okay, that sounds like it's neat.

O: I said, it's just sort of short, sweet, and quite frankly, sometimes, though, it's the only kind of fics I can focus on right now. 

S: Yeah, it's just like that sometimes.

O: It just be like that. Yep.

S: And that about wraps it up for us today. Remember to check us out on Tumblr or Pillowfort as Afterspark-Podcast for any additional information, show notes, or links we may have mentioned. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word) and various other locations by searching for Afterspark Podcast such as AO3, iTunes, Spotify, and Youtube, just to name a few. And feel free to send us questions on Tumblr, or Youtube, or AO3! Till next time, I'm Specs.

O: And I’m Owls.

S: Toodles

[Outro Music]

**Author's Note:**

> **Fanfic Recommendations:**
> 
>   * [The Light & The Smile](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12101259/chapters/27434913) by [KoiLungfish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoiLungfish/pseuds/KoiLungfish)
>   * [Confirmation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18616741) by [Interstellar_Child](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Interstellar_Child/pseuds/Interstellar_Child)
> 

> 
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> 
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